What is the Sheng?

On October 12-18 sheng virtuoso Wu Wei makes his Orchestra Hall debut in an innovative concerto written for him by Jukka Tiensu. But just what is the sheng? It’s one of China’s oldest known instruments, dating back more than three millennia! A polyphonic free-reed instrument, the sheng consists of vertical pipes and a reed that vibrates at a fixed frequency—unlike the single and double reed instruments of the western classical orchestra.

Get your first taste of this ancient instrument with this video of Wei performing with Holland Baroque-and prepare yourself for a true musical discovery.